Consultant: 34% of city' critical assets would be at extreme risk under Cat-5 scenario

A consultant presenting an interim Resilient Florida vulnerability assessment told the City Council that, under an extreme Cat-5 scenario, roughly "34% of critical assets within the city under that extreme scenario will be at extreme risk." The consultant said most identified assets are coastal infrastructure and transportation features such as shorelines, roads, bridges and marinas.\n\nThe consultant described the next step as adaptation planning: translating the assessment into project designs and funding strategies, including state funding through the Resilient Florida program and other sources. He said the final report will include NOAA sea-level-rise projections for nearer-term (through 2040) and longer-term (2080) horizons to help prioritize work.\n\nCity Council members asked about local hotspots, timeline granularity and how to use the study when considering development in low-lying neighborhoods. The consultant said the Resilient Florida requirements include NOAA projection graphs and that the project team will return with a draft in August.\n\nCouncil members emphasized outreach to affected neighborhoods and alignment of adaptation projects with available funding. No formal action was taken; staff described the presentation as an interim update and said the city will use the final vulnerability assessment to inform adaptation planning and project funding applications.